Honea Express

Posts Tagged ‘Review’

We’re a touchscreen family. My wife and I have smartphones, the oldest boy has an iPod Touch, and the youngest has… okay, three out of four isn’t bad. Unless you’re the fourth.

Luckily for our fourth, VTech came to the rescue with their new InnoTab. Now we’re four for four. Touchscreens for all the family!

Q: What’s an InnoTab?

A: The InnoTab Learning App Tablet by VTech is a cutting-edge educational toy that combines the technology of grown-up touchpad devices with the fun learning that kids love.

It’s a multi-media tablet with interactive reading, learning games and creative activities with a 5″ color touch screen and tilt-sensor. That means kids can tap, flick, drag, and curse at their touchpads just like Mom and Dad (not the cursing part, just making sure you’re paying attention). The InnoTab comes with on-board applications such as an MP3 Player, Video Player, Art Studio, Friends List, Calculator, and this thing which tells time.  Additional cartridges with kids’ favorite licensed characters are sold separately and teach essential skills in reading, logic, and creativity. Additional content such as e-books and learning games can easily be uploaded to the InnoTab through VTech’s Learning Lodge Navigator where parents can also see their child’s progress on a variety of educational milestones and lessons.

It includes four different media players: E-Book reader, MP3 music player, photo viewer and video player, 64MB onboard memory and a SD card slot for memory expansion.

Basically, it’s everything a kid needs in a touchpad without all of the worry and hassle of the internet.

The folks at VTech sent my family an InnoTab Learning App Tablet to review, and it immediately fell into the hands of the 5-year-old (it’s for ages 4-9). That’s not to say the 8-year-old doesn’t enjoy it, rather the younger one won’t let him play with it. This has also been a lesson in karma for the older brother.

If you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift for that awesome kid in your life you can’t go wrong with the InnoTab Learning Tablet. It’s so much better than having them beg to play on your smartphone.

We give it a thumbs up!

Disclosure: As stated above, I received one InnoTab Learning Tablet from VTech for the purpose of this review. The opinions are my own. For more information on my review policy please see the appropriate page from the tabs above.

This is going to be a long one. No, that’s not what she said. It was me. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, people.

Anyway, what I’m trying to type is that it is once again time to clean out the ol’ review closet. That means you’re all winners. Except there isn’t a giveaway. Remember, someone famous once said, “I’ll only review stuff that is worth reviewing,” and I said it on this very blog. What does that mean to you, the winners? I’m glad I pretended that you asked, because the following items are things that either I, or a member of my family, enjoyed, and as such we believe that you, or a member of your family, would also enjoy them. It’s all about the giving.

She did say that one.

Now, stuff:

Did you know that Duran Duran is touring in support of a new album? The record is called All You Need is Now, and OH. MY. GOD. that is so true. The new stuff is actually really good, but a recent show in L.A. proved that the old stuff holds up pretty well, too.

Also holding up well? Duran Duran. Seriously, the guys look better than they did when I was a kid (at which time they were also kids). It was like watching Brad Pitt and the Cloonettes up there (which, by the way, should totally be a band).

If you get a chance to see Duran Duran in concert you should do it. Tell them I sent you, I’m sure they’ll remember me. On a side note, don’t yell, “Rio!” over and over. They’ll get to it.

When I opened the Freaky Pets box I knew I was in trouble. There was one cute little toy in there, just chillin’, and two cute little boys behind me, not chillin’. I braced myself for the fight.

Luckily, my children tend to surprise me from time to time, and this was one of them. They actually shared the Freaky Pet, which is a plush creature that turns inside out — yes, inside out, and goes from cute to “cranky” in about three seconds flat. Also, online virtual world.

Did that just blow your mind?

Kids can personalize, train, and care for their Freaky Pets online. They can even connect with friends online and play games with them too! The plush pets and 3-D game combine the timeless fun of collecting stuffed animals with age-appropriate content online. It’s the future, folks. And the future is now.

I took that picture with my iPhone. Now it’s hanging on the wall in our living room. No, I didn’t nail my phone to the wall (although, thanks to AT&T I’ve been tempted on several occasions). I went to Easy Canvas Prints and had the photo placed on canvas — hence their name. It was easy — more hencing.

All you have to do is pick the picture of your choice, upload it to their user-friendly site, and then pick from a few options (size and so forth). It took me all of five minutes. Of course, the hard part is picking the photo.

If you know me in real life you know that I look like a caveman, but smell like a clean caveman, and that’s because I’m a firm believer in twice-weekly personal hygiene management. Thanks to Dove and their line of men + smell good, I’m turning heads where I used to be wilting flowers.

The Dove® Men + Care™ line is formulated specifically for men who prefer a mild, unscented body and face wash that clinically fights dryness better than regular men’s body washes. Clinically, people. That’s like WebMD and shit.

It’s also hypoallergenic and is created without dyes and fragrances for sensitive skin, not that any man has that. Dove says that their new deodorants and antiperspirants are designed to last 48 hours, but I’ve had the same stick for weeks. The stuff works.

If you’d like to know more about man smells you can read skincare tips from Dr. Benabiothe, who is apparently an expert on such things, or tweet Dove Men + Care at @dovemencare.

If you know me in real life you know that I look like a caveman, a ruggedly handsome caveman, that’s because I stole that last part from Castle (and the first part from the Dove review above). It’s an awesome show on ABC staring Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic as a writer and detective, respectively, that work together to solve crimes, create bestsellers and stir sexual tension. And it’s really funny.

Season Four just started on the TV box (which I don’t have, but I watch it on Hulu!), and Castle: The Complete Third Season just came out on DVD, which I do have, and I watch it accordingly. Still funny. Also, parenting skills.

FastPencil and Mercer Mayer have a new book called Mercer Mayer’s Little Monster Fun and Learn Book, which is better than it sounds. The book emphasizes early education and provides readers with learning fun in ABC’s, counting, and enjoying bedtime.

We received a copy in the mail today and the boys were immediately drawn to it. In fact, Atticus read the entire thing aloud to Zane over a bowl of Monsterpolitan cereal. IT. WAS. A. MONSTER. PARTY!

I’ll be reading the book again this evening — especially the part about enjoying bedtime.

Like Mercer Mayer on Facebook. I bet he’d like that.

And last, but not least, right before we moved I was sent a box of Green Lantern stuff. The graphic novel was fantastic, but not appropriate for my boys (definitely PG-13), and the animated version on DVD was equal on both accounts. However, the toys were unimaginative and not very well made, which seems wrong because Green Lantern is all about imagination. And staying in school, kids. Plus, the live-action movie looked so bad that I didn’t even see it. Still haven’t — and Green Lantern is one of my favorite heroes.

They did send Green Lantern rings though, which are so freaking awesome that I’m writing about it anyway. Darkest night and all that:

And there you have it, friends, reviews of things that I reviewed and more or less enjoyed (or my family more or less enjoyed them).

Disclosure: All of the items were sent to me by their respective manufacturers or PR Firms at no cost to me. The opinions, obviously, are my own. Please note, despite my having a bit of fun with the products I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to review them, and I thank those that thought enough to send them to me. San Dimas football rules.

The day the Mechatars box arrived on our doorstep the boys went wild. Well, they were already wild, but suddenly their screaming and shouting had focus, which is nice.

You: What in the wide world of shorts are Mechatars?

Me: You have clicked to the right place, because for the duration of this post I am a paid spokesperson for Mechatars and am thereby contractually obligated to tell you all about them.

You: What does that mean?

Me: It means quit talking to your computer screen and keep reading. Also, that I received a Mechatar from iLove Robots for my boys to review. Well, they just played, and I reviewed. Also, I’m being paid to write this (but the content and opinion are ALL ME unless otherwise noted).

You: Thank you for clearing that up. I’ve read your policy on reviews and giveaways, and find you to be a trusted and knowledgeable voice in the world of product endorsement. Also, handsome.

Me: You’re right.

And now the stuff about the thing.

What they say: Mechatars are a new, interactive play experience iLove Robots call “blended reality.” Brand-new and launching this fall, Mechatars combines the best of online gaming and RC robotic toys by connecting the physical world and online world through cloud computing.

What I say: The Mechatar that we received looks like a dinosaur. It makes cool noises and scared the crap out of the dog, which is always funny. It was a bit difficult to sync online (there is a special link for Mac users that we didn’t notice, and drives to download and install), but once we got it going the boys really enjoyed the website.

What they say: Even young kids expect a high-level of tech sophistication and Mechatars meets them where they are playing (perfect for ages 6-12).

What I say: I work online. I know the internet. Within five minutes of playing on the Mechatars website I felt really old. It moves fast and I couldn’t figure it out. However, the kids took to it immediately. This is why the “perfect ages” doesn’t stretch to 40.

Why do you need to go online? Because your respective Mechatar can “accept missions in the physical world to traverse the terrain and then continue to battle it out online using strategic tactics to earn points to upgrade your weapons across the Eight Elements in the Mechaverse.” I’ve heard worse reasons to go online. Heck, I’m one of them.

The verdict: One of the boys really preferred the remote control aspect of the Mechatar, and the other was more interested in the online options. Both thought the idea of battling another Mechatar in real life was a great one.  They gave it two thumbs up (actual thumbs up not pictured).

Mechatars will launch across America this fall. They will be available at stores like Target, Radio Shack, Amazon, Toys R’Us and iloveRobots.com (MSRP: $39.99). If you visit the iloveRobots.com site before 11/30/2011 you can use this coupon code for 10% savings: MECHMOM

Tech dads can use it, too.

You: That’s all very interesting, but where’s the giveaway portion of this post?

Me: Has anyone ever told you that you’re kind of pushy?

The Giveaway Portion of This Post

Here’s how you can win a Mechatar of your very own!

Visit www.Mechatars.com and look at the Mechatar lineup (you must click “play now” and “register” but you do not need to submit any information), then leave a comment on this post (below) saying which one you would like to win and why. Yes, why. Please note, I don’t need a lot of backstory.

All entries must be in by 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Monday, September 26. Winner will be drawn at random by someone random. It’s a circle of random randomness. Like college.

Contest open to the lower 48 (that’s the U.S.A. minus AK and HI and Canada).

Prize fulfillment will be subject to stock limitations. You may want to include a second choice just in case. That’s called being prepared, people.

See you in the Mechaverse!

A winner has been picked at random. Congrats to Stephanie V. and her new Mechatar.

I was selected to participate in this sponsored post series by Clever Girls Collective. I’m sure they regret it already.

It’s a well-known fact that I live each week like it’s Shark Week. The only thing that changes is the shark. Or my underpants, depending on said shark.

This week is no different, but instead of contemplating the circle of life we’re looking at some of the other fish in the sea. That’s right, it’s review time.

Here’s what happened: A) My last post changed so many lives and made me so popular that I have more followers than I need. I figure a long review post should weed out the bandwagon. 2) While packing for the move I found a whole bunch of unkept promises behind the couch, and if there is one thing that Whit Honea almost always does, it is sometimes keep a promise.

For instance, did you know that Saturnian 1 Sport “… has the world’s easiest balls to grip.”

Seriously, it says that.

I know.

They are pretty cool though. The Fun Gripper Balls (what are you, 12?) are made from soft, durable material that makes “grasping, tossing, flinging…” Jesus, I can’t do this.

Here’s what you need to know, Saturnian 1 Sport makes sports equipment that is easy to hold and throw, and they make them in bright, fun colors. They sent my kids some footballs and soccer balls and they really do love them, and yes, they are much easier to grip than a regular ball.

Now grow up.

Speaking of fondling things, Freehands makes gloves with “flip back caps to expose your thumb and index fingers” so that you can text, email, game and pick your nose while you’re driving in the winter or a walk-in freezer. Except the driving part, don’t do that.

The good people at Freehands.com were good enough (that’s why I called them “good people”) to send me some gloves to check out. They also sent a pair for my wife, which was a nice touch. I really should have covered this during the winter, which, for the record, just ended here last Thursday.

And now…

The Arts

Seattle is well-known for its music, but did you know that one of the best genres here is aimed at kids? True story. In addition to my pal Chris Ballew (hope I didn’t hurt you when I dropped that name, see also “dropping babies“) there are a number of great acts. Take Recess Monkey, please!

Recess Monkey has a new album out this month (release date is June 21, 2011) called Flying, and it’s pretty darn catchy — in a good way. The Monkeys were kind enough to send me a copy, and my boys really dig their funky sound. In fact, now that I think about it, they kind of dance like monkeys when they listen to it. I’m going to assume that this is just a coincidence, but I’ll keep you posted.

Here is what I know about Bob Logan: He has a blog called boBLOGan, which is freaking clever, and he is the author/illustrator of the book Rocket Town. Emphasis on illustrator.

Mr. Logan has a day job as a story artist at Dreamworks, and as such he has worked on such animated hits as Madagascar, Open Season and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. As you can imagine, the pictures in Rocket Town are out of this world.

See what I did there?

If I Could Keep You Little… is one of those books that make people cry in the bookstore. I tend to buy things like this for my own mother so she remembers how awesome I am.  This book, written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond, is even more sappy than most — that is to say, if you love that sort of thing you will love this, and if you don’t you’ll try to write the nicest review you possibly can without saying it was just too much for you.

Like that.

Aron Nels Steinke is the talent behind The Super Crazy Cat Dance, which is, as you may have guessed super and crazy. There is also dancing. And cats. LOL.

The Super Crazy Cat Dance is for the inner crazy cat lady in all of us, and by all of us I mean my wife.

But seriously, folks, it’s good fun and written in a style easy for kids and enjoyable for adults. Who doesn’t love that? People that aren’t kids or adults, that’s who. Also, dogs.

And there you have it, gentle reader(s). Shark Week but without the sharks plus reviews. Next up, a visit from the Green Lantern.

Believe it.

I received all of the items mentioned above from the featured companies and/or artists (or an agent working on their behalf) for the purpose of review. I’ve also received other stuff, but I don’t write about items that I (or my kids) don’t like. Negative vibes make negative people, and I don’t have time for that crap.

This giveaway isn’t for everyone. Only the young people. Also, young at heart.  So get out there on the Wii and dance. Dance. Dance.

Yes, I’m giving away a copy of Just Dance Kids for the Wii and one lucky reader, and their lovely offspring, will soon be dancing the night away (or until 7 p.m. on a school night).

It looks a lot like this, but in your living room:

When I was contacted about reviewing a dancing game for kids I responded, “but my kids aren’t old enough to drink.” You see, the men in my family don’t dance unless they’re intoxicated, and many of the men in my family don’t drink, so it would be safe to say that we’re not a dancing people.  However, the wife likes to boogie. She likes to get down. I decided to give it a try, maybe the boys got some moves from her.

Eh. It’s too soon to tell.  Honestly, I don’t know what is to become of the boys and their dancing legacy, but I do know that they enjoy it. They enjoy the hell out of it. Our rug is officially cut. I’m sending Ubisoft the bill.

Playing Just Dance Kids was an eye-opener. Also, an ear-opener. They danced. They sang along. The youngest loved the fact that he could dance with Yo Gabba Gabba (which we just saw live!), and the oldest was happy to cringe as I belted out some Beach Boys every time he started to dance to it.

What? I love the Beach Boys.

Bottom line, it’s fun, and the kids have a blast playing it. I tried it out after they all went to bed and yes, I’ve still got it. And now I have a hangover.

If you live in the lower 48 you can win a copy of Just Dance Kids by filling out the form below. My deepest apologies to Hawai’i and Alaska, but not really Hawai’i, because, HELLO, you live in Hawai’i. And Canada, it’s nothing personal. It’s the rules on this one and, as you know, I’m a stickler for the rules.

Enter now!

While Ubisoft sponsored this review, the opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective, and I promote Blog With Integrity.